Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

"I was looking for the washroom, but I got lost," Seraphine said, her voice steady despite the way her pulse had started climbing the second the guard’s footsteps echoed too close behind her.

He towered over her when he reached the bottom, broad shoulders filling the narrow space, his presence heavy enough to make the already suffocating air feel even tighter, and for a brief moment, his eyes scanned her from head to toe like he was trying to decide whether her explanation made sense.

"The washroom is upstairs," he said flatly, pointing past her without much interest.

But then his gaze caught something else. The door, slightly open, and that was all it took for his posture to stiffen instantly, suspicion flashing across his face as his hand moved toward his radio, ready to call it in, ready to ruin everything in a matter of seconds but Seraphine moved first.

She lunged forward without hesitation, her clutch swinging hard with precision as it connected with the side of his head, the impact sharp and exact, her entire body following through with the force she needed.

She didn’t miss.

The guard crumpled almost immediately, his body collapsing heavily against the cold floor, unconscious before he even had a chance to react.

Seraphine stood there for half a second, her chest rising and falling as she steadied herself, her grip tightening around the clutch before she exhaled.

As a doctor, she knew exactly where to strike. No wasted effort, and no second attempt needed.

Behind her, the woman who had spoken earlier stared in stunned silence, her fear momentarily replaced with something else, something closer to disbelief before urgency snapped her out of it.

"She’s with us," the woman whispered quickly, turning to the others, her voice low but urgent as she began shaking them awake one by one.

That was all it took. The stillness broke, bodies stirred, and yes opened. Hope, fragile but alive, started to spread through the group.

Seraphine stepped aside, keeping watch as they began moving toward the exit she had opened, their movements slow at first, unsteady, but driven by something stronger than exhaustion.

As they passed her, the woman grabbed her arm briefly, her grip weak but insistent. "There are more," she said, her voice trembling. "Younger ones... children. Next floor down."

Seraphine’s eyes flicked toward the staircase, the darkness below swallowing the light in a way that made her stomach tighten.

For a second, doubt crept in. Not fear for herself, but the fear of not making it in time.

But she pushed it down just as quickly. There wasn’t a choice. She turned and started down the stairs.

Each step felt heavier than the last, the air growing thicker, colder, pressing against her skin as the dim lighting barely held back the shadows that stretched along the walls, and by the time she reached the lower level, her chest was tight with urgency.

Children, too many. Small figures huddled together, some barely conscious, others staring blankly like they didn’t even have the strength left to react, their condition worse than the adults upstairs.

Seraphine’s throat tightened at the sight, but she forced herself to move. There was no time to search.

No time to hesitate. She moved through them quickly, scanning, calculating, her mind racing as she located the hidden exit and worked the lock open with her hairpin again, her fingers moving fast, steady, refusing to falter and the door gave way.

Fresh air seeped through the narrow opening. "Go," she urged, her voice firm but urgent. "There are people outside. They’ll help you."

The children didn’t move. They just stared at her, confusion clouding their faces, like they didn’t understand what was happening, like freedom didn’t feel real enough to trust.

Seraphine didn’t wait. She stepped forward and started guiding them herself, her hands gently but firmly pushing them toward the exit, her voice rising just enough to break through their hesitation. "Move, go now."

That did it. Something clicked, and the children began to move, slow at first, then faster, gathering what little strength they had left as they stumbled toward the door, desperation finally overtaking confusion.

And then, "What’s going on here?!" The shout ripped through the space. Seraphine turned just in time to see the guard raise his gun.

The shot rang out, loud, violent, and final.

One of the children dropped instantly, her small body hitting the ground as blood spread rapidly across her chest, the reality of it hitting harder than the sound itself.

Something inside Seraphine snapped. "You idiot!" she roared, her voice cutting through the chaos as she reached for the knife concealed on her slit.

She closed the distance in seconds, the blade drove straight into his throat clean, unforgiving.

His eyes widened, a choked sound escaping him as he collapsed, blood pooling beneath him as his body went still.

Seraphine didn’t spare him another glance. She dropped to her knees beside the child, her hands already moving, pressing down, assessing, doing everything she could with what little she had.

"Stay with me," she murmured under her breath, though she didn’t know if the girl could even hear her.

"What can we do?" a small voice asked.

Seraphine looked up. A boy sat beside her, his face pale, his eyes wide but determined despite the fear trembling through him.

Her vision blurred for a second, emotion threatening to break through, but she forced it back, focusing. "Go," she said, her voice tight. "I’ll take care of her."

"She’s my sister," he replied immediately, shaking his head. "I’m not leaving."

Seraphine swallowed hard, then nodded slightly as she worked to slow the bleeding, her movements quick but careful. "Can you carry her?"

He hesitated for the briefest moment, then straightened. "Yes."

"Good," she said, finally easing her hands away just enough. "Take her. There are doctors outside. They’ll help her."

He nodded, determination replacing fear as he carefully lifted his sister into his arms, holding her as securely as he could before turning toward the exit.

Seraphine watched them go, just for a second, before forcing herself to stand.

There was still more to do.

The labs.

She turned and moved quickly through the corridor, her steps echoing as she pushed through another door, entering a sterile space filled with equipment, monitors, and the faint smell of chemicals that clung to the air.

A man in a lab coat looked up, startled. Before he could react, Seraphine crossed the distance and drove her fist into his face, the impact snapping his head back as he stumbled.

"You’re a disgrace," she said, her voice sharp, cutting through his stunned expression.

"I—I needed to live," he stammered, clutching his face, his fear obvious now.

Seraphine took a breath, steadying herself. "The FBI has this place surrounded," she said, her tone cold and unwavering. "Get them out, or I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life in a cell."

That was enough. He didn’t argue again. He turned and rushed to do exactly what she said, barking orders, scrambling to move the remaining people out through the exits.

Seraphine followed, her body tense, her senses on edge, and just as she reached the doorway, hand grabbed her hard.

She was yanked backward with brutal force, her body slamming against the ground as pain shot through her side, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs for a split second.

She rolled, forcing herself up despite it, her muscles protesting as she faced them.

Two bodyguards, both ready, and already moving toward her. "You’re a spy," one of them growled.

They came at her together, but Seraphine didn’t wait. She met them head-on, her movements fast, controlled, every strike placed with precision as she countered their attacks, using their size against them, redirecting their force, breaking their rhythm until one went down, then the other.

Silence followed, broken only by her uneven breathing. She remembered everything Voren had taught her and right now, her life was saved because of it.

"They’re all out," the doctor’s voice called from ahead, already halfway through the exit as he rushed to escape.

Seraphine pushed herself forward, ignoring the ache in her body as she moved to follow, and then she heard it.

The unmistakable sound of a gun being readied behind her. "I wanted you to be my donner," Santiago’s voice came, colder than she had ever heard it, stripped of charm, and warmth, she stilled. "But you chose to betray me."

A pause stretched, heavy, suffocating. "Now... you die."